Method of making a multilayer ceramic electronic device

Abstract

A multilayer ceramic electronic device includes a ceramic main body and a pair of external electrodes respectively covering a pair of end surfaces of the ceramic main body, wherein the ceramic main body includes a laminated body including a plurality of internal electrodes laminated vertically therein, and a pair of side margin parts respectively covering a pair of side surfaces of the laminated body, and wherein a distance between a bottom surface of the ceramic main body and the bottommost internal electrode is greater than a distance between the top surface of the ceramic main body and the topmost internal electrode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making a multilayer ceramic electronic device, comprising:
 forming first ceramic sheets respectively covered with first conductive patterns, second ceramic sheets respectively covered with second conductive patterns, and third ceramic sheets, the second conductive patterns having smaller areas than the first conductive patterns,   laminating the first ceramic sheets with the first conductive patterns, the second ceramic sheets with the second conductive patterns, and the third ceramic sheets in a first direction to form a laminate such that a plurality of the third ceramic sheets, a plurality of the second ceramic sheets, a plurality of the first ceramic sheets, and another plurality of the third ceramic sheets are laminated in that order in the first direction;   cutting out a laminated body from the laminate, the laminated body having a first cover part cut out from said another plurality of the third ceramic sheets, a second cover part cut out from the plurality of the third ceramic sheets, a plurality of laminated first internal electrodes cut out from the plurality of the first ceramic sheets with the first conductive patterns, and a plurality of laminated second internal electrodes cut out from the plurality of the second ceramic sheets with the second conductive patterns;   attaching a pair of side margin parts to a pair of cut side surfaces of the laminated body, respectively, to form a ceramic body having a first main surface facing the first direction, a second main surface facing an opposite direction of the first direction, a pair of side surfaces facing a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and an opposite direction of the second direction, respectively, and a pair of end surfaces facing a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and an opposite direction of the third direction, respectively, the first main surface being formed by the first cover part, the second main surface being formed by the second cover part, the pair of side surfaces being formed by the pair of side margin parts, respectively, and   forming a pair of external electrodes respectively covering the pair of end surfaces, the pair of external electrodes respectively extending from the end surfaces to the second main surface,   wherein the laminating to form the laminate includes:
 positioning the first conductive pattern of each of the first ceramic sheets such that after carrying out the cutting out of the laminated boy, each of first overlap areas between the first internal electrodes has the same shape and the same dimension in a plan view as seen from the first direction, and 
 positioning the second conductive pattern of each of the second ceramic sheets such that after carrying out the cutting out of the laminated boy, each of second overlap areas between the second internal electrodes is positioned inside of the first overlap areas between the first internal electrodes along at least one of the second and third directions in the plan view. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the forming of the first to third ceramic sheets, the laminating to form the laminate, and the cutting out of the laminated body are carried out such that in the cut out laminated body, side edges of each of the first internal electrodes in the second direction are positioned at the pair of cut side surfaces of the laminated body, respectively, and that side edges of each of the second internal electrodes in the second direction are positioned inside the pair of cut side surfaces of the laminated body.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the forming of the first to third ceramic sheets, the laminating to form the laminate, and the cutting out of the laminated body are carried out such that in the cut out laminated body, a dimension of the second overlap areas between the second internal electrodes is smaller than a dimension of the first overlap areas between the first internal electrodes along the third direction in the plan view.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the forming of the pair of external electrodes includes forming the pair of external electrodes so as to extend to the pair of side surfaces, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the forming of the first to third ceramic sheets, the laminating to form the laminate, and the cutting out of the laminated body are carried out such that in the cut out laminated body, side edges of each of the first internal electrodes are positioned at the pair of cut end surfaces of the laminated body respectively, that side edges of each of the second internal electrodes are positioned at the pair of cut end surfaces of the laminated body, respectively, and that a dimension of the second overlap areas between the second internal electrodes is smaller than a dimension of the first overlap areas between the first internal electrodes along the third direction in the plan view.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the forming of the pair of external electrodes includes forming the pair of external electrodes so as not to contact the pair of side surfaces.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the laminating of the first ceramic sheets, the second ceramic sheets, and the third ceramic sheets is carried out such that a distance, along the first direction, between the second main surface and the first internal electrode that is the closest to the second main surface among the plurality of the first internal electrodes is greater than a distance, along the first direction, between the first main surface and the first internal electrode that is the closest to the first main surface among the plurality of the first internal electrodes.